re: Curious to see how Baker combats read option from USCe, TA&M, etc.

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What groupings will see the field in this look from opposing offenses? Very hopeful that new portal talent at DE will be a big difference maker, along with a healthy Perkins.

For you coaches out there, help a non-coach fan understand how to best stop the run?

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One big thing to keep in mind when breaking down football schematically is to remember that the window dressing changes but not alot else. Most people who have played high school football know that defense is about two things, gap integrity and assignments. Of course physicality and attributes come into play but from a schematic standpoint, account for every gap and don't blow assignments.


With that being said, most people who have played hs football have played against either a veer or a wing t type team at some point. The keys to stopping the veer/triple option wing T type offense;

1) Assign a man to the Dive; usually a defensive end
2) Assign a man to the QB; usually a linebacker
3) Assign a man to the Pitch; usually a safety/nickel

Now, obviously there's nuance to all of that with gap exchanges and different front stunts, etc. but that's the most basic recipe.


Read option is pretty much the same thing as triple option when you think about it. When Jayden was the QB, whoever the tailback was was the "dive" player, Jayden was obviously QB and Mason to the flat or a slant off of an rpo is the "pitch" man so to speak.




LSU had a lot of problems last year because they had an extremely difficult time tackling athletic players with space. It's not an easy thing to do but the LSU did it extremely well for a long time in part because the Tigers have had incredible athletes on defense, especially in the secondary that can clean up mistakes in the front 7. As others have said, the safety play was dreadful in the run game last year which is why, quite often, when you saw a QB make it to the 2nd level, better than average shot they were going to take it the distance. The level of safety play from a technical, physical and talent perspective is night and day different. LSU also got pushed around up front at times which allowed other teams to dictate the LOS. It became a Titanic sort of situation from there. Your defensive line wasn't imposing the LOS so the linebackers had a tough time getting good reads or staying clean of blocks and once players on the other team were to the 2nd level, there wasn't really anyone in the third level that could make the touchdown saving play. We have that now, on paper.

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ast year’s issues with running QBs were a combination of poor technique and poor talent. Sure, guys were out of position a lot but many of the times, those guys were trying to compensate for weaknesses at other positions. We had players on defense who could not get off a block, could not make a tackle in space, could not make the proper reads.

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I think some tend to downplay the lack of talent because they just assume LSU has good talent on defense. We have not had anywhere near LSU caliber talent or depth of talent on the defensive side since Kelly's been here. Kelly absolutely is not absolved in this but it's a fact.

The talent has been SIGNIFICANTLY upgraded on defense. Let's see how that plays you. I think Ole Miss did the same last year but you never know how a big influx of transfers will work with in a team structure.

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Usually big runs happen when one player abandons their zone to try and make a play. If they miss the tackle and their zone is empty, the runner is usually gone unless you have a safety with elite closing speed.

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Some of the big QB runs against LSU defense last year was a function of the DE missing and the LB that is supposed to fill in behind the DE either gets blocked or whiffs. Then it's one on one with the safety and LSU safeties have not been very good.

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understand how to best stop the run?

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First and foremost you have to have enough hats schematically in the run fit. If the offense is using 7 guys to block, defensively you need 8 guys to fit the run.

Secondly, the players must have gap and assignment discipline. Pre-snap everybody in the run fit has an assigned gap to fit. For example in a base defense the Mike backer is usually responsible for strong side A gap. Now gaps change when you get down blocks and pullers but defenders are coached to know exactly how to exchange gaps without even thinking about it.

Now stopping the QB run game adds another element. It can require an extra hat in the fit depending on the scheme and players have to be extremely disciplined in their gap. For example generally speaking if I’m the DE to the RB side on zone read I’m getting read instead of blocked. My job is usually to use the surf technique and squeeze down a step but I’m considered a QB player. My job isn’t to chase the RB across. I have to play the QB. Another great example of this is against Power Read. When Sellers broke the long run against us last year it was power read. Play side DE (Swinson) should have stepped down a gap taking out the puller and playing Sellers forcing the give where we had several guys waiting for the RB. Instead he got width and chased the RB allowing the puller to wrap on our backer and Sellers to hit a long run.

The issue is with the DE in a zone read offense. The DE is completely unblocked. The QB makes his read off the commitment of the DE. If they would stay with the QB every time, the QB could never run the ball.

I member when they said the Wishbone would last forever…

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Exactly right, it's about players being out of position and not playing their man with zone read,

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To me it just looked like an undersized, unathletic defense getting run over by big fast quarterbacks.

Check out the link I posted above. It just comes down to a lack of discipline and overcommitting to motion on that one. If Swinson squeezes the down block and attacks the puller, it leaves Penn unblocked in the hole to take Sellers if he pulls it. If he gives it on the motion, which he should if Swinson stays home, you have Weeks outside with numbers to string it out wide for little to no gain. Instead you have BOTH Swinson and Weeks go outside with the motion, no one touches the down blocking tackle or the puller and your safety doesn't make the play to help you live to fight another down. Instead, you let a big athletic freakshow get open space and it's a 75 yard house call.

Youtube


I put a link to Milroe's game against us just so people can kinda see how the whole fits together to get you gashed.


1) 0:11

1st problem is your defensive tackle here. This is nothing but DUO blocking on the interior from Alabama and they put our 3 technique into Weeks lap. The other DT also gets completely turned out of the hole. They completely reestablished the LOS here and the problem starts up front. Weeks is really in a pickle here. Having a double get THAT much movement on your 3 tech makes it basically impossible to play linebacker. Gilbert takes bad angle/read on this one as well. You have trips with a knub TE to the short side of the field. Jardin does NOT need to jump outside but instead, he takes a false step and Milroe comes right underneath him.

2) 2:10

This is counter from Alabama in what's basically GT except the second "puller" is the back instead of an additional lineman. It's actually not a terrible job by Weeks and the Nose. 1st big problem here is Swinson. To his credit, it is 3rd and 9 so he may have been thinking pass here but when he receives a down block from 75, he runs completely up the field, which is exactly what you want as an offense when running counter. What would've been much better is when Swinson saw the down block, his eyes needed to come back inside for what's coming behind it. When you get a down block at end, more times than not, a puller is coming to replace it. If he squeezes that block into 56 and collides the pulling guard, it makes a pile that clogs the gap for both Milroe and 22. This would allow the linebacker behind him to scrape over the top and be sitting in the hole waiting for Milroe who wouldn't have a full head of steam. Instead, he wastes himself on the outside, 22 has a clear lane to lead up on Burns and Milroe take it 80 yards for a TD.

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College DEs are taught to squeeze as well. Go watch college teams versus gap schemes. They generally squeeze down and either spill or box the puller depending on if they have a force player or not.

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Oh I agree. I just meant that sometimes guys in college start to play a more up the field style, more similar to the NFL and it gets you killed against these athletic QB's. It's one of the things I really like about the Pyburn add. Check out how he strikes the puller and makes it spill against us. 0:15 in the link. If you wanna see what I'm talking about when I say collide the puller, this is it. We even tried to influence him outside with an arch release and he didn't bite. I'm excited to see how he helps us in the run game.

LINK